Whether you believe in Bigfoot or not, there’s no denying that fascination with the beast is a time-honored tradition that shows no sign of going away, especially regarding the movies. Something about that big, hairy, elusive lug makes for great cinema. Along with many fun family-oriented comedies about the skunk ape, like Harry and Hendersons and 2019’s Missing Link, a slew of great horror films follow the popular cryptid. The new film from Uncork’d Entertainment, Abominable, is the next entry into the yeti horror sub-genre. The film will surely satisfy fans of killer Sasquatch films, but it has shortcomings.
Abominable, not to be confused with the 2006 horror film or the 2019 animated film of the same name, follows a group of researchers searching for a miracle plant in the Himalayan mountains. Naturally, they encounter a huge hairy monster that’s none too pleased with their meddling. The use of a laboratory in a snowy landscape, the cold weather attire, and the fact that the characters are a group of researchers are all reminiscent of Carpenter’s The Thing, but the similarities end there. That said, the setting and costuming add a certain level of production value that helps sell the story quite a bit.
Fans of practical FX will surely enjoy a few intensely gory sequences. These are, in this writer’s opinion, the highlight of the film and set it as a must-see for fans of Sasquatch mayhem. While perhaps not often enough in the film to satisfy serious gorehounds with an appetite for unrelenting violence, a couple of wild practical gags are very gruesome.
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It’s also worth noting that Bigfoot has a very impressively designed face. It’s not a new or innovative design for a yeti, but it’s quite realistic. Unfortunately, that leads us into the major downfall of Abominable.
This movie suffers from a lack of attention to detail. The ends of the yeti’s arms are clearly the ends of furry sleeves. The fur suit is visibly baggy and hangs loosely and unnaturally. Notes on the laboratory wall, scientific findings we’re to assume, look very unconvincing. Images on laptop screens are poorly superimposed at incorrect angles. In one scene, a gun fires multiple times, but no muzzle flashes were added in post, giving it a very “backyard movie” feel.
Usually, it’s easy to overlook things like this in low-budget horror films. However, Abominable does such a suitable job presenting its story that these oversights are glaring.
In all, Abominable is a good film, especially for fans of Sasquatch horror. It has some cool gory moments, an interesting story, a neat setting, and is nicely-paced. It falls short with its attention to the finer details at times, but fans looking for a snow-covered sci-fi horror film will have a yeti of a time with this one.
Abominable hits DVD and Digital on April 14th from Uncork’d Entertainment.
